


"Do you have a girlfriend yet?"

by 7thweasley



Category: Harry Potter - JK Rowling
Genre: Christmas Dinner, Coming Out, F/M, M/M, established relationshio, family rejection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-24
Updated: 2014-11-24
Packaged: 2018-02-26 20:03:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2664641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/7thweasley/pseuds/7thweasley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Remus decides to drop the bomb at Christmas dinner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	"Do you have a girlfriend yet?"

**Author's Note:**

> The holidays are coming up. This means, for me at least, the bombardment of "do you have a boyfriend yet?" and "what do the boys at school think of you?" and all that heteronormativity. So I wrote this.

"Are you sure you are ready to do this?"

Sirius and Remus were loading their car for the annual Christmas party at the Lupins'. James, Lily and Peter were already crammed in the backseat, but Sirius pulled Remus aside.

"It's now, or I never will pluck up the courage to. Besides, it may be the last time I see any of them for a while," Remus said to Sirius.

"Fair enough," Sirius sighed. "Let's get going, or we'll be late."

"Don't want to anger the relatives further."

~~~

Remus, Sirius, Lily, James, and Peter were the last to Remus' parents' house. He pulled to park in front of the car, and the troops piled out.

"This is where you grew up?" James said, taking in the airy Victorian style house desperately in need of repairs.

"Tell me why you never brought us here again?" Peter asked.

"Couldn't have you lot here. I think you'd have given my poor mom a heart attack," Remus grinned.

"Come on, let's go inside before I freeze my balls off," Sirius grumbled.

"We know Remus would hate for that to happen," Peter joked.

"Shut it!"

~~~

"Remus!"

The excited cry of a small woman sounded from somewhere in the kitchen, but the owner was drowning in the crowd of Lupins and Lupin-in-laws.

"Hello, mum," Remus said pleasantly when she surfaced. "House smells great."

"Oh, you flatter me," Hope Lupin said, beaming at her son. "And who are your friends?"

"Mum, meet Sirius, James, Lily, and Peter," Remus introduced, gesturing to each friend in turn.

Hope gave his friends hugs, surprising Sirius slightly. "The more the merrier. Now, I have to get back to the duck and ham before Remus' uncle makes himself sick eating them raw!"

She smiled at the Marauders and Lily again, and then bustled back to the kitchen.

"Let's go find somewhere to sit and put our coats," Remus said, and they journeyed deeper into the busy house. 

~~~

The question first came up seated in front of the television screen, something of which James and Sirius were fascinated by. Lily was playing with one of Remus' little cousins, and Peter had been trapped in conversation with Remus' great-aunt who had once gone to Hogwarts as well.

"So, tell us, Remus," his father's stepmother asked him, pointing to Lily, "is that redhaired beauty over there your girlfriend?" 

Remus laughed nervously. "Not quite. Lily and James are engaged."

"Then why didn't you bring your girlfriend?"

"I don't have one, grandmama," Remus said as politely as he could.

The old lady sitting next to his grand-stepmother (who knows who she is) kindly offered, "My husband's sister has a nice granddaughter about your age. Why don't you two meet sometime–"

"I'm good, thank you though."

"Suit yourself."

~~~

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No."

~~~

"What about that nice girl told us about?"

"She's here, engaged to my best friend."

"So no girlfriend?"

"Nope."

~~~

Remus was getting tired of being asked about his personal life and was about to slink off until his mother called in that the ham and the duck were ready.

"Come on," Sirius said, grabbing Remus' hand gently, pulling him from his bad mood.

They were seated at the cousins' table, so mainly with children under 12.

"Where's Peter gone?" James asked Lily.

"He's with Lyca," Henry, a small boy of seven, said and wiggled his eyebrows like it was the naughtiest thing in the world.

"Looks like Petey's gotten himself a bird," James laughed.

"Speaking of birds, and actually duck as well," Sirius said, laughing at what he was saying, "remember that time Remus ate a whole wild duck on the full and was coughing up feathers days after?"

James slapped the table because he was laughing so hard at the memory, but was shushed.

"It's time to pray," Remus' father scolded, and started them off.

~~~

After eating some, and during a moment of almost quiet, Remus stood up so everyone could see him. Sirius squeezed his hand in reassurance.

"Could everyone listen for just a moment?" Remus asked, fumbling with the sleeves of his jumper.

"I've been asked a couple times, er, more like many times, if I have a girlfriend, or why don't I," Remus rambled.

"The truth is...I have a boyfriend. His name is Sirius. Uh, this is him," Remus said awkwardly, putting his hand on Sirius' shoulder.

No one said anything, and the Marauders and Lily sat staring at Remus' family waiting for an answer.

"Please say something," Remus said, still standing.

Slowly, Remus' father stood. "Get out," he said with a quiet anger. "Get out, get out."

"You're kicking me out?" Remus stuttered.

"Get out. Get out!" Lyall Lupin was shouting, over and over.

Sirius stood, grabbing his jacket and Remus' by the hand, who was still trying to silently plead with his father. 

"Come on, James, Lily," Sirius said, marching them towards the door. 

James and Lily stood without hesitation.

"PETER, WE'RE LEAVING ANGRILY AND DRAMATICALLY, COME ON," James yelled up the stairs where Peter was with Lyca.

~~~

Outside in the drive, Remus was hysterical, sobbing into his hands. The door slammed shut as Peter left with the bowl of Oreo pudding in his hands.

Remus looked up, and wiped his eyes. "You took the pudding?"

"Of course. Wasn't going to let you leave without chocolate," Peter said, still a little flushed from his time with Lyca.

Remus laughed, wiping his eyes again.

"Come on," James said, "let's go celebrate while it's still Christmas. We don't need any old ladies to do so."

"We need them to cook. None of us can cook for shit."

"I'm trying to be inspiring, Moony, you're raining on my parade."

"We'll deal with them later, not on Christmas," Lily said.

The Marauders went back to Lily and James' and had one of the best Christmases yet.


End file.
